Move over, kids. Halloween is for grownups

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A group of demons and witches gather for a night of havoc ... Are adults taking Halloween a little more seriously nowadays?

Story highlights

In recent years Halloween has evolved from child's play to an adult-themed affair

Around the world, more money is being spent on Halloween costumes than ever before

Festival's secular inclusiveness seen as key to its growing popularity

It was once dominated by children, but today Halloween is a decidedly adult affair -- replete with raucous parties, naughty get-ups and expensive ornamentation.

An estimated 71.5% of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween this year, up from 52.5% in 2005, according to the country's National Retail Federation (NRF)

"A large portion of the growth is coming directly from adults who begin celebrating as early as a month prior to Halloween night," says NRF spokeswoman Kathy Grannis. "We are definitely seeing that it is no longer only a children's holiday."

The trend is going global, too. Within the last five years the holiday has grown considerably outside of the U.S., according to Lisa Morton, author of "The Halloween Encyclopedia" and "Trick or Treat?: A History of Halloween."

In Great Britain, "there's been an almost 700% increase in adult costume sales since 2009," she says. It's also growing in Japan, where costume play has a longstanding tradition.

In the mid-1980s, Halloween gained even more traction among adults, helped by the Coors Brewing Company, who ran an ad campaign featuring TV horror host Elvira. According to Morton, the marketing ploy helped make the ghoulish night a "beer holiday" in the mold of Superbowl Sunday and St. Patrick's Day.

Retailers capitalized on the party mood and responded to the demand for theatrical dress up. Pin-up pirate, naughty nurse, even sexy Big Bird -- you name it, and there's a sultry version of the costume available today.

Skimpy Halloween get-ups have been available for as long as costumes have been sold commercially, but in the last decade the prevalence of sexy costumes has really exploded, according to Lesley Bannatyne, author of "Halloween Nation: Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night."